After three years of careful planning, a small team in the Global Engagement Department's (GED's) Shipboard Systems Group recently completed a series of tests for the SSGN — a new class of submarines that will provide the Navy and joint forces with conventional firepower in a virtually undetectable vessel.

SSGNs are modified Ohio-class, nuclear Trident subs, which are now capable of carrying up to 154 cruise missiles and as many as 66 special operations personnel.
Two of four SSGNs, USS Florida (SSGN 728) and USS Ohio (SSGN 726), completed a series of shakedown operations verifying the crew and weapons systems were ready for deployment. Additionally, USS Florida wrapped up its strike operational evaluation in May.

Through several in-port and at-sea exercises, APL helped the Navy replicate
what the crew will experience once the vessels are deployed, testing its reactions to a multitude of situations.

"No two exercises were alike," says J. Patton, APL's SSGN
Attack Weapons System Evaluation project manager. "There
were three or four simulated strike exercises each day at sea,
and each one had a unique APL-developed strike package that
included simulated target information for each missile."

Acting as Tomahawk strike coordinator, the team added
realism by inserting faults or casualties into the test to gauge
both hardware and crew responses. "Timing is critical," Patton
says. "We had to trigger certain events at just the right time or
risk delaying the whole exercise."

APL-developed software aboard each sub was used to collect
data, which the teams are now analyzing. "Our software
was also used to assess system performance and help other
organizations troubleshoot any anomalies detected during the
tests," Patton says.

Once deployed, the submarine crews will run additional
tests and send data back to the Laboratory for analysis, following
in-depth procedures APL developed for the sailors.

"Analyzing operational data is part of the long-term SSGN
evaluation capability, similar to what we developed years ago
for Trident," Patton says. "This will help the Navy determine if
any modifications are needed to the submarine's strike weapons
systems."

Path to Success

Preparation was key to the successful trials, team members
say. "We've worked closely with the Navy's Strategic Systems
Programs Office and other participating organizations to
develop objectives for testing this complex weapon system,"
says J. Humphreys, APL's SSGN program manager. "We
helped the Navy meet comprehensive test objectives and minimize
redundancy by combining tests for both the shakedown
and operational evaluation, for example."

"Our 30 years of experience in Trident submarine evaluations
and operations, along with our hydrodynamic expertise
and our synergy with the Tomahawk folks in the Precision Engagement
Business Area, make APL a natural choice to spearhead
the SSGN tests," Humphreys says. "APL is really the only
place where you have all this expertise in one location."

It's likely that SSGNs will eventually house different payloads,
such as an unmanned underwater vehicle. "When the
sponsor looks at future missions or weapons that can be placed
aboard the SSGN, we fully expect to play a significant role in
this process," Humphreys says.

The remaining two SSGNs — USS Michigan (SSGN 727) and
USS Georgia (SSGN 729) — will undergo their shakedown tests
in early 2008 and 2009, respectively, once their overhauls are
complete. The GED team anxiously awaits its next opportunity
to work at sea.

Despite the incredibly hectic pace and the challenges of living
and working for several days in a sub's tight quarters, none
of the team would trade the experience. "It's a unique feeling
working aboard a ship or submarine, knowing the system you're
working on will someday be used in the field," Patton says.